Patient Education Library

The following resources are made available to MPA members as a member benefit. Please use them to help communicate important and useful information to your patients and arm them with information about how pharmacists can help them manage certain conditions and their medication therapy.

In addition, be sure to visit the Patient Safety Resource Center for additional tools to help educate your patients on using medications safely.

Managing Conditions

As a pharmacist, it's important for you to assist patients with managing therapy for specific disease states. Utilize the materials below to help your patients manage certain conditions. If you specialize in certain conditions and have resources you're able to share, please contact MPA.

Arthritis

Asthma

Blood Pressure

Cholesterol

Diabetes

Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases

Hepatitis

Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

HIV/AIDS

Influenza

Meningitis

Obesity

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pneumococcal Disease (Pneumonia)

Managing Medications

Medication Lists

As a pharmacist, you may understand the importance of keeping an accurate, up-to-date record of medications; however, it seems that few patients keep a medication list with them. Here are a few talking points that may help you convey the importance of this simple task:

  • Medication lists help you track and manage all of your medications, including medication allergies. Keep the list updated and bring it to all medical appointments. An out-of-date list can be dangerous, especially if you have had to stop a medication due to an allergy or serious side effect.
  • Medication lists help your pharmacist(s) and physician(s) monitor for duplicate therapy, medication interactions, etc. This is especially important if you use multiple pharmacies and/or see multiple prescribers.
  • If you are hospitalized or are in an emergency situation and are unable to communicate, personal medication lists are the most complete and accurate source of your medications and how you have been taking them.
  • Misunderstandings with and errors in interpreting verbally-communicated medical information are common.
  • Creating and maintaining a medication list is easy to do and it may save your life!

Taking Medications

The following tools help patients take their medications appropriately and provide tips to help them discuss concerns with their pharmacist or physician.

  • Are You Taking Medication as Prescribed?: The Food and Drug Administration offers a consumer update on medication adherence or taking medications as prescribed.
  • Brown Bag Medication Review: A tried and true way to educate your patients about the medications they're taking is a brown bag medication review. Utilize this article that explains what a brown bag review is, what a patient should bring and more!
  • Question Builder: Encourage your patients to build their own list of questions online to bring with them to their next visit to the pharmacy.

Using Medications